After accidents or strokes, persons often need a prolonged rehabilitation process in an attempt to recapture some or all of the body function damaged in the accident or stroke. Such rehabilitation may include one or both of two elements, a physical rehabilitation portion, in which damaged or unused muscles, nerves and/or joints are brought back to full functioning (to the extent possible) and a cognitive rehabilitation portion, in which the cognitive ability to control the body is restored. In some cases, the damage to the body and/or brain is such that a patient needs to be trained in modified functionality (e.g., when one limb is made short) or even new functionality, for example, in the use of an artificial limb.
Physical therapy is currently provided mainly by personal attention of a physical therapist who monitors and instructs a patient in the performance of certain exercises. Thus, costs for rehabilitation are high and compliance after a patient leaves a treatment center is relatively low.
Some home physical therapy devices are known, for example a product called “backlife” provides CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) of the spine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,304, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a cognitive rehabilitation utilizing a remote therapist.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,213, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a rehabilitation system using a robotic arm.
An article in Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, Vol. 37 No. 6, November/December 2000, titled “Development of robots for rehabilitation therapy: The Palo Alto VA/Stanford experience”, by Charles G. Burgar, MD; Peter S. Lum, PhD; Peggy C. Shor, OTR; H. F. Machiel Van der Loos, PhD, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes usage of robots for rehabilitation.